The Carnivorous Clouds
by Little Wo
Summary: Credence learns to ask questions.


They've been sailing for a week already, and Newt has felt nervous from the beginning. The ship means closed space, as well as the suitcase; Credence doesn't know anyone but Newt in here, and kind of just has to communicate with him. Newt questions himself whether making the contact inevitable is a good way to convince someone you are trustworthy.

Credence himself doesn't seem to mind it. Anyway, he spends the first days inside the suitcase, staring at the Occamis and the Bowtruckles and falling asleep in there from time to time.

Newt becomes really frightened when after a long search he finds his ward eyeing the Obscurus. There is nothing more simple than to go to him, take him by hand, and lead him away from the dangerous scene, but Newt is paralyzed with fear. What does he know about Obscurus?

"Credence!"

The boy turns around, humping habitually:

"Yeah?"

"Come here, please."

He casts one more glance at the Obscurus and runs to Newt, surprised by his anxious eyes and his nervous muttering:

"What an unteachable idiot I am. I knew I should shield it... Are you alright?"

"Yes, Mr. Scamander, I'm sorry, I – I didn't know I can't get close to there, honestly!" Credence seems to be almost in tears. Why is he always such a disappointment?

"It is very dangerous to approach her, Credence. It is the most dangerous place in here." Newt puts his hand on the boy's shoulder and adds honestly, "I was scared for you."

"And what is it?"

"An Obscurus."

Newt has never seen such a stare.

Credence is lost for words. He blinks twice, looks at Newt, at the cloud, back at Newt, and then manages to utter, "But that's so beautiful."

"Not if you unleash her."

He says it sharply, and quicker than it occurs to him that he can insult Credence easily. But the new piercing look is not offended, but unbelievably persistent:

"Have you seen that?"

"Yeah," Newt looks away. "Her, and you, and that's enough for me."

"Did I look like that, too?"

Credence's voice makes Newt calm down a bit: a natural thirst for knowledge sounds in it, not an approaching explosion.

"Yes, in general. But here I used a constricting spell, and, you know, there wasn't anything like that with you. You were much larger. And I think you looked more like a cloud of dry leaves than smoke."

"Tell me about her! Oh, I mean, please."

"If it makes you feel better-"

"I think so," Credence's voice becomes lower and less confident; you can't expect that getting rid of the habit of not having your own opinion can be easy. "And- I think- I should know more. Because I am not a monster, am I?"

Newt gives him a warm hug:

"Of course you're not."

During the next days, Credence hardly ever opens his mouth, as usual; but he is surprisingly contactable, and even goes out to the deck. There isn't much to look at up there, the sky is grey and the waves are cloudy, but still, Newt likes it, and so does Credence. And Newt can't but notice that, staying away from people, the boy nevertheless allows him to be half a step closer.

"Does an Obscurus remember what happened to him or her when it's back human?"

Newt honestly tries to squeeze something out of his memory, but it doesn't work.

"Well, I don't know. Actually, I never studied them long enough, and I took her not out of my own curiousity. I think I'll give her to Dumbledore."

Credence thinks of "and me?" but instead of that asks, "Who's that?"

Newt smiles:

"That's my good friend. He was my teacher at school, then he helped me when they threw me away, and then the Ministry hired me, thanks to him. He's a wonderfully knowing wizard, he knows everything and wants to know even more. By the way, you will meet him, because I think he can help me teaching you."

"And why did they expel you?"

Newt snorts:

"Because it wasn't a good idea to bring an Occami to school, Sooner or later, it doesn't fit in your pocket anymore. I'd better have first trained to expand things properly. But I manage it now, don't I?"

"Like the suitcase? Will I learn to do that, too?"

"Sure."

"Will you teach me?"

"Yes."

Credence has dragged so much of "yes, I will teach you" that he can't wait to begin. Newt is flattered my his enthusiasm, as well as by his progress in melting, stopping saying "Mr. Scamander", and not pretending to be dead when his name is called.

But some trouble still happens.

On the day of their arrival, there shines a beautiful sunny morning over London, but Newt still doesn't feel like walking to the Leaky Cauldron through half the city. They have almost reached the entrance to an underground station, and Newt is busy calculating his Muggle money, when Credence stops rooted to the spot.

"What's this?"

"The Tube. That's faster. Come, we've a lot to do."

"The subway? Newt, I'll turn it all upside down."

Newt raises his eyes slowly, and seems to see a dark cloud around Credence. He blinks away the picture.

The boy is clearly not going to do one more step, even though he's already lowered his head in shock, having had the nerve to insist.

"Fine," Newt takes his hand. That's their sign: I am here with you, and it's all right. "Fine. Now that I think about it, there's plenty of transport in London."

There are not many things that Newt dislikes more than buses. But he has been to the City Hall station as well.


End file.
